Dog's owner could be in trouble after motorcyclist hits it and dies

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CALDWELL, Idaho (KBOI) - The Canyon County Sheriff's Office says Caldwell resident Joey Stills is dead after he hit a dog on his motorcycle. It happened Sunday evening around 5:30 near the intersection of Goodson Road and Elmcrest Drive in Caldwell.

Deputies say Stills was not wearing a helmet and was thrown off of his bike after hitting the dog. They also tell KBOI that people nearby tried to give him CPR before help arrived, but they couldn't get a pulse and he was later pronounced dead at the scene.

Deputies say the dog's owner could face criminal charges if it was running loose. But Canyon County has to look into the case and investigate before they decided whether or not the family can press charges.

Ross Arbaugh, who is a family member of Still's, says he's not upset with the dog's owner and believes the crash was just a very unfortunate accident.

"He was doing what he loved to do...go out and have fun," Arbaugh said, "And unfortunately a dog ran in front of him. And he would have went out of his way to save the dog's life, but unfortunately it took his life, and unfortunately for the people too, it took their dog."

Deputies tell KBOI that the dog's owner was one of the first people on the scene. The dog was also killed.